Marybeth Hicks

HICKS: Miley Cyrus’ exploitation doesn’t surprise

You'd better sit down because this is going to come as quite a shock. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have broken their engagement. I know. You probably need a minute to collect yourself.

September 18, 2013

HICKS: MSU prof draws penalty for anti-GOP tirade

Most of us up here in East Lansing would give anything right about now for something we could label "offensive," but we'd be talking about the Spartan football team, and not the professors who teach at Michigan State.

September 10, 2013

HICKS: Common Core State Standards raising questions for parents

I feel sorry for parents of school-aged children these days. It's not enough that you have to assure your kids are developing physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually; you also have to practically get a job in a newsroom to keep track of all the information that impacts your children's education.

August 13, 2013

HICKS: Role models like A-Rod aren’t worth your time

It's time to help our children's generation learn to discern between the wheat and the chaff when it comes to public figures. They don't need to necessarily give up on every famous person as a role model, but let's make sure they know that there are other wonderful athletes and entertainers out there who may not grab as many headlines, but who set stellar examples of how to live with character and integrity in a competitive, fame-crazed world.

August 6, 2013

HICKS: Mom and teen disagree about pope’s message

The Holy Father makes it clear that rejecting or reviling people for the fact of their same-sex attraction is not the way the church responds to gays, even though the church recognizes homosexual behavior as sinful.

July 30, 2013

HICKS: Spoiled children are spoiling the summer

Consumerism is so ingrained in our young people that their materialism no longer seems odd or unusual, and most kids simply expect that their parents will buy them what they want if it means the children will be happy.

July 23, 2013

HICKS: Teachable moments emerge from Trayvon Martin case

The Trayvon Martin case, as it has come to be known, has revealed a disconcerting level of ignorance on the part of American citizens about how our courts of justice work.

July 16, 2013

HICKS: Gay friend offers a teachable moment about truth and love

The most important of those values is love, and fortunately, that's the part our children's generation clearly understands. But the pillar of faith for Christians is truth, and truth isn't up for debate. The truth is, God created us as sexual beings for a procreative purpose.

July 9, 2013

HICKS: Time to pass down the patriotism

Let's all make our celebrations of Independence Day a reflection of the gratitude we feel to be citizens of the United States. Let's not just enjoy the day with family and friends, but spend at least part of it remembering the sacrifices of those who secured our freedom in 1776 and those whose courage has protected it ever since.

July 2, 2013

HICKS: Lying is not OK, but it is normal

Even though lying is normal, we can't make the mistake of dismissing it as unimportant. If we're going to be successful in bringing up children with solid character, we have to respond each time it happens.

June 25, 2013

HICKS: Summer offers chances to learn independence

Sadly, parental fears about their children's safety have caused too many moms and dads to put their kids in a virtual lock down, keeping them home where they're "safe," rather than let them negotiate the real world and learn some independence and responsibility.

June 18, 2013

HICKS: Children need not see parental conflicts

Specialists agree that parents must keep their disagreements private and away from their children. Kids need a strong, unified front in order to feel that the adults in the home are speaking together with authority.

June 11, 2013

HICKS: Enduring obnoxious children is no day at the beach

It's not politically correct to acknowledge that we don't like them, but let's face it: There's nothing worse than being forced to endure other people's obnoxious children. These days, it seems like they're everywhere.

June 4, 2013

HICKS: Health teacher needs to set boundaries

It must feel excruciating to sit in class and listen to graphic discussions about sex and sexuality that have no actual educational value, but are simply meant to be shocking and uncomfortable. When a teacher offers to answer any question of a sexual nature, she's actually undermining the law with respect to parental rights.

May 28, 2013

HICKS: Plan ahead to oppose cohabiting

Unfortunately, changing societal attitudes about marriage have taken a toll on the institution itself, and even young adults who have been raised with the example of a healthy, traditional marriage exhibit skepticism — if not cynicism — about the value of it's traditions, especially about the importance of establishing a home in the context of marriage.

May 21, 2013

HICKS: Some parents don’t always know best

A very wise mother once warned me, "The enemies of your child are the parents of his friends." At the time I thought, 'Sheesh, that's harsh.' But my fourth child is now a teenager, so I know exactly what that mom meant.

May 14, 2013

HICKS: A tactful response to untactful garb

From a cultural perspective we've forgotten — and neglected to teach our children — that the way in which we dress reflects the seriousness or solemnity of an event. Today, folks believe that any special occasion that warrants "dressing up" means you can wear whatever you believe is fancy, irrespective of the neckline or hemline. That's not really true.

May 7, 2013

HICKS: Violent video games create unhealthy emotions

Violent video games are a problem, especially for younger children, and unfortunately, violence in games is more prevalent than parents may think. A 2011 study found 71 percent of video games contained at least some mild violence, while 25 percent included intense violence, blood and gore.

April 30, 2013

HICKS: Parental responsibility trumps child’s privacy

Parents should be vigilant, especially when we put the means to greater freedom into our children's hands by way of a cellular device. Freedom is an important factor in developing responsibility, but it's also the avenue to poor choices, even risky ones.

April 23, 2013

HICKS: Parents must find time away from children

We all know that having children is both indescribably satisfying but also extremely stressful. Little children are physically exhausting, big children are emotionally draining, and children of all ages are demanding and expensive. Consider this: Whatever is in the best interests of your marriage is also in the best interest of your children.

April 16, 2013